Although this film contains documentary elements, it is best classified as propaganda. But then, things that arrive in your newspaper in the middle of an election generally are. No surprise there.
Watching the film, it is odd how frequently the speakers will criticize the use of a particular media technique against them, and then the film will use that same technique against someone they disagree with, even when it is completely unnecessary to make their point. I almost thought that this was a joke being played on me, to see if I would notice.
Also, while I was already aware of the Nazi link, the fact is that any time you resort to using Nazi history to make your point, you reveal the underlying weakness of your message, which is that you lack current facts and an ability to convey them to the audience in a meaningful way. I was disappointed to see the film take this direction, and I think a lot of potential viewers will not see this film, on this basis alone.
For a movie about Islam's War Against the West, I found it to be remarkably US-centric. It seemed to me like most of the non-US footage was included just so they could have the title "... the West", instead of "... the US". On the flip side, some NON-Western countries like Russia were briefly included. I wish a more global view had been taken, giving equal time to all affected countries, and the movie retitled as "... the World".
I much prefer Geert Wilder's short film Fitna (2008), which does away with the talking heads and the Nazi storyline, and simply lets the radical Islamists speak for themselves. In far less time, that documentary is more effective than this one.
I still give this film a 7 despite its faults listed above, because it does include a lot of important footage not widely seen in the English-speaking world before, from radical Islamists themselves. And it includes some inspiring footage from Islamic moderates who are trying to take a courageous public stand against the radicals.
Watching the film, it is odd how frequently the speakers will criticize the use of a particular media technique against them, and then the film will use that same technique against someone they disagree with, even when it is completely unnecessary to make their point. I almost thought that this was a joke being played on me, to see if I would notice.
Also, while I was already aware of the Nazi link, the fact is that any time you resort to using Nazi history to make your point, you reveal the underlying weakness of your message, which is that you lack current facts and an ability to convey them to the audience in a meaningful way. I was disappointed to see the film take this direction, and I think a lot of potential viewers will not see this film, on this basis alone.
For a movie about Islam's War Against the West, I found it to be remarkably US-centric. It seemed to me like most of the non-US footage was included just so they could have the title "... the West", instead of "... the US". On the flip side, some NON-Western countries like Russia were briefly included. I wish a more global view had been taken, giving equal time to all affected countries, and the movie retitled as "... the World".
I much prefer Geert Wilder's short film Fitna (2008), which does away with the talking heads and the Nazi storyline, and simply lets the radical Islamists speak for themselves. In far less time, that documentary is more effective than this one.
I still give this film a 7 despite its faults listed above, because it does include a lot of important footage not widely seen in the English-speaking world before, from radical Islamists themselves. And it includes some inspiring footage from Islamic moderates who are trying to take a courageous public stand against the radicals.